An Inspiring Fellow

Yosduan Ramos was named the Lisagor Fellow at a celebration for all students involved in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program, which just concluded its first year at CSU Channel Islands (CI). The SURF program provides students with a stipend allowing them to work for eight-weeks on a faculty-mentored research project. Nine CI faculty, with eight projects, mentored 23 students in projects ranging from the study of literature to the habits of hummingbirds. Beyond their faculty-led research, students met weekly to discuss interdisciplinary approaches to research and engage in professional development activities. SURF is funded by the CI Foundation from proceeds from a recent land sale.

The Lisagor Fellowship, funded by a gift to CI from Terri and Mark Lisagor, recognizes a SURF student who stands out for their contributions to the SURF community and in their research efforts. In addition to a certificate and trophy, the student receives $1,000 to travel to a professional research conference to present their research.

Yosduan Ramos, working with CI faculty Julianne Gavino (Art History) and Margarita Lopez-Lopez (Spanish) and two other students, helped to create a digital archive preserving Con Safos Magazine, a voice of the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s in East Los Angeles. According to Ramos, the project “document[s] a historical awakening of the Chicano identity and community engagement through groundbreaking and cultural activism.” This project required students from Art History, Sociology, and Psychology to combine their strengths for the project to be successful. “It was amazing to see how our different expertizes (sociology, psychology, art history, global studies, and languages) were necessary to accomplish our project.”

“The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program has been a life-changing experience for me,” Ramos says. He will present the project “at the important Getty exhibition that will take place here in Channel Islands, during the Fall Semester.” Not too shabby for a rising Junior.

“Once my mom told me, “Para lograr lo que quiere, tiene que trabajar duro, dar lo mejor de usted, y aprovechar todas las oportunidades que se atraviesen en su camino” meaning that, “in order to achieve what you want, you have to work hard, give the best of you, and take advantage of all the opportunities that come your way.” And that is exactly what I am doing” Ramos continues, “working hard, giving the best of me, and taking advantage of all the opportunities I encounter in my way.”